COMMUNICATION LEADER

Karyn Chalmers Thomas is a Raleigh native and received her education in the Wake County Public School system. She graduated from NC State University in 1979 with a BA in Political Science. More recently, Mrs. Thomas ALSO completed the Master of Art in Liberal Studies at NC State with a concentration in Communications and Social Change.

While at NC State she began her career in broadcasting and worked at WRAL-TV from her sophomore year until 1983. She then worked as a production specialist and Special Projects Producer for WPCQ-TV in Charlotte, NC. She later moved to Los Angeles, CA where she was as a Public Access Administrator for the third largest cable company in the U.S. While there, she also worked with Rebuild LA—an organization devoted to building the communities affected by the 1992 civil disturbance.

Currently, Mrs. Thomas is retired from a successful career in the City of Raleigh’s Communications Department. She lives in Morrisville, NC with her husband Dr. Lester Thomas, who is a retired educator from Durham Public Schools. Together, they host cultural and educational events in their community through their organization, The Ujima Group, celebrating African-American history and culture.

LEARNING ARCHITECT & IDEA ADVISOR

From a young age, Michele Baldwin Lewis knew she wanted to work toward a career that would promote equity and justice. With this in mind, Michele enrolled in a dual program at the University of Redlands where she obtained her teaching credential as well as her bachelor's degree in Sociology & Anthropology.

In her first year of teaching, Michele worked in a unique position where she rotated through various subject matters. This heavily influenced her philosophy and approach to education and rather than becoming a subject matter expert, Michele focused instead on mastering what it meant to empower learners.

After 10 years in the formal education system, Michele returned to school to help unpack some of the inconsistencies and barriers to authentic learning that she had encountered while teaching. She enrolled in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program at NCSU and began to research the big history of how humans came to be learners. Her concentration on Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biological Studies of Learning focused Michele's studies on understanding not only how humans came to learn, but how humans best learn and what factors may impact the process.

After graduating, Michele applies her research in her work as a Learning Architect and IDEA Advisor. She aims to build learning practices that are inclusive and serve the diverse human population in a way that supports equity that is accessible to all.

THE HAPPY HABIT

Born and raised in Venezuela, Mónica was always surrounded by paint and brushes thanks to an artist father.

With a background in advertising, she was permanently in contact with design, color, and style, but it was not until 1999 that she formally started her formation as a painter at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

In 2018 she created the class The Happy Habit of Daily Painting after researching and applying habit formation theory to her painting practice and succeeding in forming the habit of going every day (or most days) to her easel.

Mónica has a graphic style and many have called her a colorist. She aims for simplicity, interesting design, and strong brushwork.

Most of her work can be found at The North Carolina Museum of Art store. She lives in Apex NC with her husband and kids.

View Monica’s Work:
https://www.monicalinares.com/
https://www.paintingmiles.com/

RESEARCHER & ARTIST

Carol Sullivan-Riddle is a Triangle resident, artist, creative leader and graduate student of Liberal Studies (MALS) and Public Policy at North Carolina State University.

Her graduate research focuses on advancing equitable opportunities for women, children, and their families- including husbands, partners, and caregivers, through access to high-quality early care, education, health, and career equity.

As a researcher, Carol has asked questions and explored the tools available to better support how we live and work and, importantly, how we address the substantial barriers hindering equitable progress for people in our community.

The Hope Made Real project is part of her quest to find an answer to these questions within our own community.